Rise of Graces
by Rivenoir
Summary: Travel to the past when it all began. A final journey through time to 500 years before the Fall. /Slight AU, eventual FLight.
1. Prologue  0

__**And I am back with another Final Fantasy XIII story. Hope you all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: FFXIII and its characters belong to Square Enix. I merely own this fic. This disclaimer will be applied for all the upcoming chapters.**

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><p><em>I am the Guardian of Etro, but I am merely a servant, a pawn of the Gods./_

The Guardian stood at the balcony as she stared blankly out, as if she was watching something that was visible only to her eyes. The air was poignant and still, having signs of neither life nor death. The vast area which the fabled Valhalla occupied was empty. Abandoned. The atmosphere was precariously balanced between serene and unsettling. The Guardian let out a soft sigh, breaking the silence. She closed her eyes as she thought about her fate which she had long resigned herself to.

She defied fate, the Fal'Cie and her supposed eternal sleep. She had broken her leash of being a Fal'Cie's pet. Yet, she was dragged into the undying world of Valhalla, where time ceases to flow. She was initially indignant, to go through so much to get this kind of end. But then, she understood. She understood why she was brought here. A new duty for a new future.

And with that, she took up her new position as the Guardian of Etro.

She felt a tug at her consciousness and she felt the familiar divine presence around her, wrapping around like tendrils, filled with warmth and compassion. But at the very core of it, there was a hint of grief. A soft dull pain, ever present. She felt herself being guided back into the hall, and she willingly followed, but not like a puppet. She would never be a puppet, with her will fortifying the promise she had bound to herself.

"Lightning, my guardian. I have a final calling for you."

The soft whimsical voice echoed throughout the area, resonating in her very soul. The voice felt near, as if the Divine Etro was right next to her. Yet, Lightning well knew that she was far too distant. Distant in many ways. The main thing that defines the divines from the mortals.

Finally, she arrived the centre of the stone platform. She kneeled down, one knee guard in contact with the rough surface of the stone flooring and the other in contact with her arm braces. Her free hand rested on the floor, glove protecting her palms. Lightning bowed her head solemnly as she awaited further instructions from the Goddess herself.

"It is wisdom to solve problems from its roots. There is a final time I need you to travel to. Five hundred years before the fated Fall of the Cocoon. The War of Transgression."

Lightning's eyes widened minutely before she nodded numbly. The Divine's task might be vague, but she had an idea forming on what she was meant to do. She slowly got up, straightening herself to her full height.

"You may keep your gunblade as a souvenir, as you call it. Now go forth."

The Guardian took a deep breath before turning back, finding yet another gateway. She stepped into the paradoxical contraption, finding herself in the familiar stream of time. She allowed herself to drift through time, quite literally, deciding to close her eyes and succumb to the comfort of sleep until she arrived at her destination.

_Gran Pulse._

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><p><strong>Alright. This is just a prologue of the fic. Expect longer chapters soon.<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed and please do read and review!**

**Cheers!**


	2. Encounter I

**I'm back with the next chapter. And thank you for the nice responses! I ended up shifting it to a more narrative type than a descriptive. Hope you guys don't mind. But if you do, I can attempt to make it more descriptive.**

**Same disclaimer applies.**

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><p><strong>-I-<strong>

The place Lightning woke up was rather…soft? The ambience seemed rather peaceful, easily tempting to lull her back into slumber. She resisted the temptation, instead blindly groping around. It did not take her long to realize that she was resting in a bed of grass and flowers, explaining the fresh smell of the wilderness. Lightning tried to sit up as she opened her eyes, only to be roughly pushed back down by an unknown force.

She blinked a little as she slowly regained her vision, only to blanch a little when she felt an increased pressure on her abdomen. She recognized the intricate design of the lethal weapon, the ornate carvings in the Pulsian language, and looking up at her assailant only confirmed the suspicion that lingered in her mind. She would have felt happy- no elated, if only the circumstances were different.

"…Fang?" Lightning whispered in disbelief. She noticed a familiar red-head hiding behind the older Pulsian. The pink-haired soldier regretted her words when she heard Fang's snarl. It was a bad idea, needless to say.

"How did you know my name, you Viper?" Fang leant dangerously down as she moved the tip of the Bladed Lance threateningly to her throat. Lightning instinctively tilted her head back, avoiding the pointed edges of the lance. She knew that it was dangerous, as seen from her battles with Fang. But she definitely did not want to experience the damage it can possibly cause first-hand.

Lightning paused and looked up at Fang, unable to find an appropriate reply. She definitely did not want to be considered crazy by either Pulsian. It was by no means a particularly good first impression. As expected, Fang did not seem impressed by her lack of answer, which led to Lightning experiencing a sharp pain in the middle of her collarbones. The Guardian slowly closed her eyes, not wanting to look at her possible killer.

_Go ahead! I'm not weak. I'm not afraid of death._

That was what her actions screamed. The Guardian who should have died. It wasn't hard to be reacquainted again.

"Watch out, Fang!"

A high-pitched shriek cut through the tension, almost like a heated knife easily slicing through butter. The weapon was soon taken away from Lightning, and there were some shuffling sounds. Lightning took the chance to sit up, spotting a Behemoth King charging at them, visibly wanting to make a meal out of the three.

"We should just leave the viper here and run, 'Nille!" Fang called out as she started backing away, safely keeping the younger girl behind her with her arms. Vanille furiously shook her head in response, not keen to accept the suggestion of Fang's.

"That isn't right Fang! From the nest or not, we can't just leave her here like this." The older Pulsian hesitated before finally relenting, running towards the soldier who was hurriedly getting to her feet with Vanille close behind.

Fang shot a glare at Lightning, who was summoning her weapon out of thin air. "I'll deal with ya later…." She looked at the blade Lightning now held quizzically, but she did not comment on it, instead choosing to focus on the beast hurtling towards them instead.

The Pulsians both shifted to saboteur roles to slow the Behemoth King as it approached. Lightning instinctively shifted to the Ravager role, intent to rain down spells in assistance. It was all on instinct. Fang and Vanille might not know her, but she knew them. She knew how they fought. The only difference was that she could no longer count on them to support her, since she was being regarded as an enemy. Hopefully, the battle would not turn into a three-way battle.

Mentally, she shoved the thoughts aside to focus on the feral beast before her. She tapped into the pool of magic within her and felt the energy reawaken. Soon, she felt the familiar warmth of the flames in the palm of her hands. Wasting no time, she started to hurl the spells at the enemy with hopes to stagger it before it could deal damage to the three.

By the time the beast got to them, it was severely crippled and weakened, prompting Vanille and Fang to switch to the Ravager role and Sentinel role respectively.

No doubt, they made short work of the Behemoth King. Lightning dispelled her sword before taking a seat on the grass bed, silently preparing herself for the questioning that was soon to come. From where she sat, she could easily hear mutters from where Fang and Vanille were as they attempted to salvage what they could from the carcass. The dilemma they faced was rather obvious on their faces and their body language.

The two eventually stood in front of her in silence as they tried to discern the person sitting before them. Vanille was the one who finally broke the silence as she cautiously inched forward. It was unexpected, but it was necessary. "Who…are you?"

"Lightning Farron."

Fang couldn't help but to give a taunt at that, but the tone was not the usual teasing one.

"Lightning? What kind of name is that?"

"What kind of name is Fang?"

The hunter's grin soon turned into a scowl as she heard the rebuttal. Insulted, she stormed towards the seated soldier and lowered herself so that she could maintain eye contact. She wasn't satisfied with merely being able to look into her eyes. Fang placed her hands on Lightning's chin and forcefully yanked it to face her.

"You're the one to talk. Remember that you're at our mercy."

Lightning didn't respond verbally, instead, she opted to staring back into the emerald eyes of the Pulsian with confidence and strength, the emotions in her eyes mirroring the same look she had before the battle.

Fang was taken aback by her reaction, almost to the point of being impressed. She gave a smirk before dropping her hands to her sides as she got up and brushed the dirt and grass bits off her sari.

"Ya aren't like the rest of the Vipers, I'd give ya that." Fang finally conceded and admitted it, along with a nod of affirmation from Vanille.

Lightning shrugged nonchalantly at the statement. She had a small smile on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes, and it was full of mirth, as if she was smiling at some sort of dark humor.

"_Difference is that I control my own fate."_

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><p><strong>I don't know about you guys, but I'm proud and disappointed at this chapter at the same time. Urgh. Anyway, thanks for all the nice reviews and story alerts.<strong>

**Do read and review, so that I know which part I can focus on.**

**Cheers!**


	3. Captive II

**And here's a quick chapter for you guys. Thank you for all the heart-warming reviews, I love reading them and I do my best to reply to each and every one of you.**

**And here's a special mention to TheArsenalRisen. Get well soon, alright?**

**EDIT: Because I somehow forgotten this, Lightning is in her GC uniform. Only her weapon is changed.**

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><p><strong>-II-<strong>

The whole village quietened to a hush as Lightning was escorted to the village. She felt stares boring into her. Some were accusing, some were grieving. It burned her. The only sign that was bordering to peacefulness was the glances of curiosity from the little children of Oerba. Soon, there were some movements. People clearing away from the roads, creating a clear path to let them through. Others were urging the children to run home, and the rest were passing the news of a 'captured vipers' around the village.

Lightning slowed down for a moment as she glanced around, taking in the expressions of the villagers. There were scowls directed to her, but they faltered when Lightning's gaze fell on them for a moment. She finally saw for herself the Oerban viewpoint of the people from Cocoon. They did not want the war, they did not like the pointless losses.

_They were scared. _

She paused for a moment with the sudden realization. Both sides of the war were blind. During the days leading to the fall, Fang and Vanille had attempted to express the situation of the people in the village. But as the saying goes, 'seeing is believing'.

The hand pressed on her back increased its pressure. Lightning turned her head back to look at the owner of the offending hand. The expression on her escort's face was something she was not used to. Fang was grim and solemn. But it was expected, knowing the unpredictable war. One day, you may be alive. The next, you cease to live.

"Let's not keep the chief waiting."

Lightning nodded as she started moving again. Before long, she was in front of a building. It shared the same reddish-tint of rust with most of the buildings in town, but it was a lot larger in size. Vanille stepped in front of them to push open the door as Fang gently herded her in. She was led to a room where a group of men were huddled around a central table. The purpose of the room was obvious. A war room.

One of the man noticed the trio's approach. He quickly straightened up and cleared his throat, calling for the attention of the rest. He tilted his head as he stared at Lightning, sizing her up. Lightning merely stared back at him, full of calm.

"Yun Fang. Who is this?"

"Lightning Farron. Captured Viper."

Murmurs soon broke out after the report. Even the man looked a little surprised himself. He paused in consideration for a moment before gesturing to the others to quieten down. He placed his hand to his chin, eyebrows furrowed as he considered what to do with the captive. He dropped his hands to his side when he finally came up with an idea.

"Yun Fang. You are to be her warden. Make her tell you what the Cocoonian's are planning and all their secrets. Everything, and anything. When the time comes, I'll put her to… good use. This is our first live captive since the start of the war, so no harming her." His face was adorned with a smile, but it was that of a maniacal one, a disturbing scheming smile. By now, it was obvious who was the chieftain of the village.

"Yes, chief."

The chieftain nodded as his face returned to its neutral expression. He rested his hands back down on the table, satisfied with her answer.

"Good, make your father proud."

Fang visibly stiffened before nodded, gesturing at both Lightning and Vanille to follow her back out. Fang only relaxed when she was out of the building, her shoulders slumped down and the cold expression gone from her face. She gave a sigh before running her hand through her hair, facing Lightning.

"Guess yer' stuck with us. Let's go to a quieter area. And remember, yer' still a viper and a captive, so no funny business."

Lightning nodded, having no intention to argue with the Pulsian, Vanille finally piped up after being a silent observer for so long. "Maybe we can go to the beach?" Fang smiled at the suggestion and nodded. The girl excitedly skipped ahead of the two, not bothering to wait for them. Fang then turned her head to view the captive walking alongside her.

"Yer' a L'Cie, aren't you?" Lightning gave a wry smile as she shook her head.

"No, I'm not."

"… How can you use magic, then?"

Lightning just shrugged as she walked down the steps to the beach, watching Vanille who was walking along the shore. Fang sighed from behind.

"You Vipers are so hard to handle. Beggars can't be choosers. Ever heard of that?" Fang scoffed as she followed her down, rolling her eyes. She did not really like the idea of being Lightning's warden, but there was nothing she could do. Perhaps it was better have an extra hand in her job, provided her captive was co-operative. As much as she disliked the vipers, there was something different about Lightning. It was like a subconscious feeling within, telling her that this person would change the whole situation, the pointless stalemate in the war.

Lightning stood by the shore before taking a seat on the soft fine sand, near the gentle lapping of the waves. She gazed out, seeing the memorable windmills of Oerba. Their source of power. She could see why the Pulsians looked down on the people of Cocoon. Unlike them, the people of Cocoon were sustained by the Fal'Cie. From energy to food to weather. They were overly dependant. To see it working was weirdly nostalgic to her. She could almost feel the sadness Fang had when she returned to the destroyed and ruined Oerba. The beauty and the serenity of the village tarnished by the War of Transgression and the whole mess of the Fal'Cie.

She couldn't help but to give a sigh before letting a soft smile adorn her face. She could see Fang take a seat next to her from her peripheral vision.

"Likin' the view?"

Lightning nodded wordlessly, her eyes still on the school house and the windmill, the scenery complimented by the crystalline sea.

"See? Gran Pulse ain't all that bad."

"I know that. The wilderness and beauty is nothing compared to that of Cocoon."

"Oh?"

Lightning turned her head over to Fang, but she didn't seem to see the Pulsian. She seemed to be viewing something inside the Pulsian, instead. Fang merely sat there as she held her gaze, curious, but she said nothing, not wanting to disturb Lightning. The soldier gave yet another wry smile before turning back to the view before her.

"…_A friend told me about Gran Pulse."_

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><p><strong>Hope you liked the chapter. I can't really see Fang and Vanille being overly harsh on Lightning due to the fact that they can't waste much time dealing with her during the war. Plus they knew how she could fight, and she's too precious to endanger. Might as well make her feel welcome and let the information come willingly.<strong>

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had quite some fun describing the windmills. It makes me really... heartbroken when I saw it in game. Wanted to bring it in and point out how Fang might have felt. **

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